Company & Role Overview

TBS Group was an industrial services provider specialising in asbestos removal, demolition, remediation, and infrastructure maintenance. The division had suffered nine years of financial underperformance, accumulating $6 million in cumulative losses.

This was a Board Reporting role, requiring the preparation of annual financial forecasts, budget planning, and monthly accrual accounting. My mandate was to lead a full-scale operational and financial turnaround, repositioning the business as a high-performing, compliant, and profitable operation capable of securing long-term, high-value industrial and government contracts.

Industry & Market Conditions

• Highly competitive sector, with increasing regulatory demands for asbestos remediation, environmental safety, and demolition compliance.

• Industrial & government contracts required strict compliance, yet TBS lacked the structured processes to qualify for these contracts.

• Inefficient internal processes, outdated systems, and uncontrolled spending had resulted in ongoing financial instability and missed opportunities.

Challenges Upon Taking Over the Role

• $6 million in cumulative losses over nine years due to poor financial and operational management.

• No structured contract acquisition strategy, limiting access to long-term government and industrial panels.

• Estimating department inefficiencies, with only $500K in pricing output per month, restricting revenue growth.

• Workforce inefficiencies, leading to significant downtime, delays, and inconsistent job tracking.

• No centralised purchasing system, resulting in overspending, procurement delays, and unstructured supply chains.

• Lack of a workforce planning tool, creating scheduling conflicts and productivity inefficiencies.

Government & Infrastructure Panels

• Transpower (North Island) – Approved panel contractor for asbestos removal, environmental remediation, general maintenance, and refurbishment projects.

• First Gas (North Island) – Panel contractor for industrial asbestos abatement, maintenance, and refurbishment projects across gas transmission and distribution networks.

• Housing New Zealand (HNZ) – Auckland Redevelopment Programme – Panel contractor for demolition, asbestos removal, and remediation supporting major urban renewal projects.

• Auckland Council – Preferred vendor for asbestos removal, controlled demolitions, and hazardous material remediation on council-owned infrastructure.

• New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) – Panel contractor for asbestos removal, hazardous materials abatement, and demolition projects across active military sites.

• Auckland District Health Boards (DHBs) – Preferred contractor for asbestos removal and high-risk environmental decontamination in hospitals, ensuring zero operational disruption.

Transport & Logistics Panels

• Auckland Airport – Approved panel contractor for asbestos removal, demolition, and enabling works supporting major airport expansions.

• Ports of Auckland – Preferred vendor for asbestos removal, demolition, and hazardous materials management in live port operations.

Petrochemical & Heavy Industry Panels

• Refining NZ – Marsden Point Refinery – Preferred contractor for asbestos removal and demolition within high-risk petrochemical plant environments, including the Burner Stack & Process Vessel Remediation projects.

• OI Glass New Zealand – Approved vendor for asbestos removal, high-risk industrial maintenance, and furnace decommissioning.

Vacmonte Ship Abatement – Specialist contractor for asbestos gasket replacement and marine vessel refurbishment under maritime asbestos safety regulations.